Big Bows and Butterflies
by Nikichanx
Summary: Lucia has always had a passion for volleyball; yet when she suddenly transfers out of her school in Spain to Karasuno High, her will to play slowly begins to dwindle. This is the story of a young girl who most cope with dramatic change, new romance, and finding out where she truly belongs on the court. Oh, and what's all this about big bows and butterflies? OC x Noya (REWRITING)
1. Haikyu!: Prologue

**Big Bows and Butterflies**

**Prologue**

* * *

><p><em>The sky has always fascinated me. <em>

_It's a part of nature, yet it's very much wonderful. _

_Sometimes I look up and just want to spread my wings and fly into the endless blue. _

_Gracefully, like a butterfly. _

_Beautiful and enchanting, small yet mighty, _

_butterflies are able to reach heights far above._

_And that is what I wish to do, reach new heights above, and float, like a butterfly. _

—

**Five weeks prior.**

"What do you mean we're moving?!"

Lucia Gonzales slammed her hands on the table as she shot up from her seat, nearly knocking her chair over in the process. Strands of her straight brown hair fell in her face, covering parts of her beaming brown eyes. "Tell me papa!" she demanded.

Lucia's older brother, Tadeo, rested his head on the palm of his hand as he eyed the television lazily. Beside him, a stern looking man placed his fork down on his now empty plate. He sighed heavily, lifting his head and catching the angry gaze of his daughter. Both Lucia's father and brother had already been immune to her frequent outbursts, so they continued on through their dinner as if completely unfazed.

"Lucia…" warned her father impatiently.

Lucia's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as she sat down in her chair. "You _can't _be serious, right?" she replied back.

"Where to this time?" asked Tadeo finally contributing to the conversation.

"A small town in Japan…" replied their father wiping the ends of his mouth with his wrinkled sleeve. "In the Miyagi Prefecture."

Tadeo impassively shoved another piece of food in his mouth. He swallowed, paused, then thrusted his fists in the air as if suddenly motivated, "Alright! New town, new babe pool!" he exclaimed. Lucia, however, remained unsettled.

"Where will we stay?"

Her father cleared his throat, breaking the uneasy tension. "Your mother knows someone with a place out there." he stated rather plainly, "They've agreed to have us stay there while I finish my work in the next town over."

Lucia continued to finish her meal, not bothering to follow the pointless conversation any longer. She and her brother Tadeo were always moving from town to town because of their father's job, so there was nothing new that surprised her there. She was more worried about how she was going to break it to the volleyball club. Lucia calmly stood up from her seat, "I'm going to my room." she said removing her plate from the dinner table. Lucia's father turned to face her, "We'll need to leave by next week. Make sure you're packed and ready."

"_We_?" thought Lucia skeptically. She remained quiet as she headed out the room. As the conversation eventually faded out, Lucia arrived in front of the door to her bedroom. She pushed it open slowly to reveal a slightly barren room, with nothing more than a frame-less mattress, small end table and wooden desk. Clothes scattered across the floor covered of what appeared to be a dark blue carpet, and the walls were filled with various volleyball-related posters.

Lucia meandered her way over the piles of magazines and collapsed onto her bed. She buried her face in her pillow, drowning out the noisiness that filled the house.

"_I don't want to move._"

* * *

><p><strong>The following day.<strong>

Lucia took a deep breath as she focused on the volleyball court before her. Raising the ball to eye level with her left hand, she positioned herself for a serve. Her teammates remained divided on both sides of the net, anticipating Lucia's powerful serve. After a slight moment of hesitation, she tossed the ball into the air and gave it a hard smack. Gracefully, her serve glided through the court and over the net, with the sound of leather quickly meeting the floor with a loud thump. Lucia smiled to herself, proud of the result.

The girls stood still with their mouths agape, unvexed but nonetheless impressed. Just one year ago Lucia had been recovering from an ankle injury that caused her to be out for the entire season; however this year, her second year, was finally her time to play.

Lucia's teammates crowded around as they applauded her for her serve. Securing the large bow in her hair, Lucia laughed as she embraced the kindness from her dear friends.

"Lucia, you're going to do great for the practice match this week!" exclaimed a girl named Marisol Alves.

"Why do you wear that big bow, Lucia? It makes you look like you have giant wings or something!" joked Rita Castro, the team's libero.

As Lucia continued to joke around with her teammates, her face quickly dropped after remembering the devastating news she had to soon reveal. Calming the girls down, she took a step back as a saddened expression appeared across her face.

"Lucia what's wrong?"

"I-I won't be able to play in the practice match." she began, clenching her fists. "I'm…moving." Her voice declined into a soft whisper.

"M-Moving?!" exclaimed the girls all at once.

"Lucia, tell me this isn't true!" cried Marisol immediately embracing her in a death-griping hug.

"You can't leave in the middle of the term!" added a nervous Estela Flores. "Plus, you're _captain_!"

Lucia smiled to herself as she caressed the head of a frantic Marisol. "Please, don't be upset." she whispered reassuringly. Lucia lifted Marisol's head then gazed upon the group of girls before her. "As of today I will officially be transferring out of INES Mare Nostrum." she announced confidently. The girls let out a simultaneous cry. Lucia shook her head and adjusted her hair bow once more, "With that being said, I will also officially name Marisol the captain of this team."

"_WHAT?!_" exclaimed the girls in shock.

"Me?" replied Marisol widening her eyes in disbelief. Lucia nodded and placed her hand on her fellow teammate's head. "I trust you'll be a great captain, Mari."

Tears filled Marisol's eyes as she gazed up at Lucia in adoration. Lucia faked a confident grin, remaining composed and relaxed as usual. She then removed a small whistle from around her neck and placed it over the new captain.

"I believe in you."

Marisol wiped away the tears that streamed down her rosy cheeks. The rest of the girls surrounded her, offering congratulatory hand pats and comforting hugs. Lucia stepped away from the crowd and watched in satisfaction. Just then, an older woman approached her from behind.

"Are you sure you're doing the right thing?" the woman asked lowly.

Lucia closed her eyes as she removed the massive bow from her head. She didn't have to turn around to realize the voice belonged to the head coach of the club girls' volleyball team, Ms. Ramirez.

"Marisol cares greatly for everyone and loves to play volleyball." replied Lucia. She paused and turned around to face the coach. "She has determination and is compassionate. I don't doubt she'll be a better captain than me."

Ms. Ramirez smiled and placed a comforting hand on Lucia's shoulder. "Will you be okay, Gonzales?"

Lucia nodded. "I'll be fine-"

"Luci!" interrupted the voice of an eager Marisol. Lucia and Ms. Ramirez turned their attention back over to the girls. Marisol stepped back and positioned herself in the middle of the group. Flashing a smile, she revealed a small box in her hand.

"On behalf of all the girls on the INES Mare Nostrum volleyball team, we, uh…"

"We got you a present!" exclaimed another girl jumping in.

"A…present?" repeated Lucia in shock.

Marisol nodded, "We wanted to give it to you after the first practice match, but we all agreed now seemed like a better time!" she exclaimed flashing another smile. Lucia returned Marisol's warm smile and accepted the gift. She paused and looked up, "You didn't have to…" she said softly.

"Just open it!"

Lucia nodded and removed the top of the small box. Her eyes widened in astonishment. Inside there was a small, silver necklace with a charm that resembled a butterfly attached to it. It had the word '_Fly_' engraved on the back in white lettering.

Lucia lowered her head and forced a smile. It was now time for her to leave her volleyball team behind. She hesitated for a moment, trying to collect the best choice of words to say. The only words she could manage to mutter out, however, were two simple ones:

'Thank you.'

* * *

><p>"Have you gotten all your things?"<p>

Within almost a blink of an eye, the next week nearly flew by for Lucia. As her father now stood in the doorway with a grim expression across his face, Lucia treaded out the front door carrying her belongings. Tadeo appeared from behind and followed Lucia's lead, yet held no intention of looking back at his father.

Tadeo, as always, had a confident, care-free smirk on his face despite the circumstances. Although Lucia was just as confident as him on the_ volleyball court_, the current situation had her completely at a loss for words.

She nervously clutched the handle of her suitcase. Tadeo was truly the composed one. He was a third year in high school yet still had the mentality of a untroubled, thirteen year old boy. Nothing at all seemed to bother him, which still continued to amaze Lucia even to this day. He headed down the front stairs as his suitcase hit the pavement with several loud _THUMPS_.

"Ready to go?" he asked flashing a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah."

Lucia's father entered the large taxi parked outside the two-story home. Lucia examined her father as he took a seat in the front beside the driver. Strands of his re-dyed black hair fell slightly across his stolid face, with a thick mustache that ran across his upper lip. He was even relatively tall, just like Tadeo. These were just a few of the features that appeared most notable to Lucia, however although he stated this move would be the final one, Lucia had a feeling she would have to later experience it all over again.

.

.

.

.

By the time the yellow taxi rolled down the street, the sun had already risen high enough to get a full view of it's soothing rays. As the two siblings looked back at their house for the final time, Lucia couldn't help but feel a tingling inside her stomach. She was now leaving her volleyball club, her friends, and her city of Valencia, Spain, for the island nation of Japan, which to her, was considered a completely foreign, different world.


	2. Haikyu!: Our Heroine Revealed

**Big Bows and Butterflies**

**Chapter One: "Our Heroine Revealed"**

* * *

><p>"Have you heard about what happened with Aoba Johsai?!" exclaimed Susumu Akiyama running up to the school's front gate. As usual, her golden blond hair was tied back into a messy bun, with her bangs falling almost perfectly across her obviously fake eyelashes.<p>

Lucia blinked twice before returning a friendly smile. She then turned her attention to the school building before her. It was a rather large, white building with several cherry blossom trees surrounding the outside gates. The trees had always managed to capture Lucia's attention, for they were not at all common in her hometown back in Spain.

It had been about five weeks since Lucia and her family moved to Japan, and about _two_ weeks since she first transferred into Karasuno High. Luckily, she had already managed to make one friend: Susumu Akiyama.

"Akiyama-kun, your eyelashes…" replied Lucia walking up and leaning in to examine her friend in further detail.

Akiyama placed her hand on Lucia's shoulders, flashing another one of her bright grins. "Gonzales, remember what I told you? We usually use '-kun' at the end of _boy_ names, not girls!" she explained as she giggled slightly.

Lucia looked down embarrassed, "I-I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry about it! Remember you're still learning!"

"I know…" Lucia paused and clutched the strap of her beige school bag. "So Aoba Johai? Is that another school?"

"They're a private school in Miyagi, ranked top 4 in the prefecture." described Akiyama in a hushed tone, "My sister told me that when she went to Karasuno, there was always a volleyball club rivalry between the two schools. We hardly ever play them, but this time, I guess something must have convinced them." She suddenly paused to style her bangs, "_Everyone's _talking about it."

"I see." Headphones dangled from her ears as Lucia looked down at her bag. "_Thats right._" she thought to herself. Since she arrived at Karasuno she had given up all intentions of playing volleyball. Narrowing her eyes, she looked back up at Akiyama. "S-So they have a boys team?" she asked nervously.

"That's right." replied Akiyama, her mood appeared to change suddenly. "It isn't all that big-a-deal though."

"I guess." said Lucia looking off to the side. Just then, a loud shout came from behind.

"_KAGEYAMA!"_

Lucia and Akiyama spun around to see two young boys sprinting toward the school at full speed. One of them had bright orange hair and piercing brown eyes. He currently held the lead over the other boy, whom in comparison, appeared much taller in appearance and an impressively sharp glare.

"I won't lose to you!" shouted the taller one. Suddenly he picked up his speed, causing the two to now be almost neck and neck. Zooming past Akiyama and herself, Lucia couldn't help but stare in amazement.

"They're so fast!" she exclaimed.

Unimpressed, Akiyama rolled her eyes. "They're just a couple of first years." she replied unenthused, "I've seen them on the volleyball club too."

"V-volleyball club?" repeated Lucia slightly shocked.

"Yeah, the boy's team." yawned Akiyama, "Hey, Gonzales didn't you say you used to play back in Spain?"

"Yeah…" replied Lucia softly, "But not anymore."

"It makes total sense, I mean you're so tall compared to other girls!"

A small half-smile tugged on Lucia's lips as she recalled the fond memories of her volleyball team back home. Unfortunately the memory hadn't last very long as she was interrupted by the voice of an impatient Akiyama.

"C'mon, let's get to class already!"

"A-Alright!"

Lucia chased after Akiyama as she scurried off toward the school building.

"By the way," called Akiyama still several feet away from Lucia, "How about we give you a nick-name, you know, something easier to say than '_Gonzales_'." She paused then flashed another smile, "How about Momo-chan?"

"Eh, Momo-chan?" repeated Lucia off guard. Her voice faded out as they both entered the double-door entrance.

* * *

><p>Akiyama continued to talk nonstop all the way to the second floor, chattering on and on about how 'dreamy' the third-year boys were. Eventually, Lucia couldn't help but block out the voice of her animated classmate and drift off into her own personal thoughts. It was a typical Monday morning, with the students making their way quickly, yet sleepily to their homeroom classes. Being in the school for about for two weeks now, Lucia had already become accustomed to the changed atmosphere.<p>

As the two girls rounded the corner, they came across the same two young boys from earlier. However this time, they were now situated outside of a third year classroom, both appearing to be talking with one of the students.

Akiyama immediately grabbed Lucia by her sleeve and dragged her back behind the corner before they could be detected.

"W-What are you doing?!" exclaimed Lucia in confusion.

Akiyama narrowed her eyes as she peered from behind the wall. "That's Asahi Azumane, a third year…" she whispered, "He's a total hottie."

Lucia made a face, "_That's all you care about?_" she thought as Akiyama leaned forward.

"But what are those first years doing talking to him?!"

"You know a lot of people, don't you Akiyama…" commented Lucia rather impressed.

"He used to be the volleyball team's ace." explained the blond, "But after a game last year he stopped attending practices. That's all I know."

Lucia looked over to the boys and blinked twice. Very faintly, she was able to hear the exchange of words between the three.

"I appreciate the sentiment," began the third year, "But…why are you so interested in me? We haven't even practiced together."

"Because if you don't come back, the second and third-years will stay disheartened." began the boy with the orange hair. However before he could finish his sentence, the taller first-year beside him thrusted his hand into the boy's side.

Lucia widened her eyes. "_Why are they so concerned with that third-year?_" she thought to herself. _"Could they really care about him that much?"_

Drifting back into the conversation, Lucia furrowed her brow.

"-I understand how you feel." continued the shortest first-year, "I'm short and have no skills, so I constantly get blocked. But now, I have this guy tossing to me, so I can get past any blocker. All the blockers vanish from my sight and the view of the other side of the net opens up. Then, at the highest point, the ball hits my hand, I feel the heft of the ball snug in my palm." Opening and closing his fingers, the orange haired boy smiled, "I love that."

Lucia swallowed and remained quiet. Akiyama however, frowned. "What a boring conversation." she said with a pout. "I don't even know what they're talking about."

Lucia silently looked over to the side, "_I do._" she thought to herself. She then shook her head and looked back over to her friend, "Akiyama-chan, do you know where the boys' team practices after school?"

Akiyama raised both of her eyebrows, baffled by Lucia's sudden interest. "Uh, yeah, sure. They're usually in the gymnasium after classes let out. Why?"

Lucia smiled as if completely satisfied. "No reason. Let's go to class, Akiyama."

* * *

><p>When the final bell rang, thoughts of the two first-years from earlier continued to run through Lucia's head. Why were they so concerned about recruiting someone who <em>obviously <em>didn't want to play? Did they care that much about their teammate? For some reason it reminded Lucia of her good friends back home. The feeling was very much nostalgic, and it was one she very much could not ignore. She knew she had to see the boys' volleyball club with her own eyes.

As the students hastily hurried out of their classrooms, Lucia meandered her way down the busy hall. She passed clusters of second-years, all smiling and laughing together. As Lucia looked straight ahead, she couldn't help but feel a tad bit lonely.

She blinked twice. Was it that she was just bad at making new friends? As if almost in a complete daze, Lucia continued to walk without noticing she had dropped a slip of paper from her bag.

"Excuse me." came a soft voice from behind.

Lucia snapped out of her trance and turned around. Standing much taller before her was third-year student and volleyball ace Asahi Azumane. His long hair was styled into a loose bun and he appeared to have short scruff on his chin. Lucia froze in her steps. Now that she was closer to him he _looked_ much older than he actually was.

Lucia stepped back as she began to tremble. "I-I-"

"P-Please don't be scared!" replied Asahi nervously. "I didn't mean to startle you!" He then extended his arm to reveal the piece of paper Lucia had dropped. "You just dropped this."

Lucia blinked as Asahi flashed a sweet smile. His personality definitely didn't match his appearance, but nonetheless, she was thankful for his gesture.

"Thank you." She replied with a smile and accepted the paper.

"Um-" began Asahi, his voice raising, "You don't look to be from around here. Are you new?"

Lucia turned red in embarrassment. She had completely forgotten it was rude to address others, more importantly those _older_, without first introducing yourself.

She lowered her head and bowed, "E-Excuse me. My name is Lucia Gonzales! I was born in Valencia, Spain and actually just transferred here." Her uneasy voice caused Asahi to shrink back.

"There's no need to be so proper." he said waving his hand, "I'm Asahi Azumane."

Lucia stared at the boy before her in amazement. "_So this is the Karasuno ace?" _she thought. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Asahi looked away nervously.

"Um-"

Before he could begin his sentence, Lucia leaned forward, clenching her fists and eyeing Asahi intensely. "Y-You're on the volleyball team right?!" she asked suddenly.

Asahi stepped back as he widened his eyes. "W-Well..." he stuttered, "Not anymore, really..."

"You're very tall, uh, I mean, you were probably really great!" said Lucia in a positive tone.

Asahi chuckled nervously. "Thank you." He then turned his back slightly and gave a smile, "I'm sorry, but I need to be on my way now. It was nice to meet you Gonzales."

Lucia nodded and waved goodbye. Asahi Azumane was definitely not at all what he appeared. Bringing her bag to her chest, she gave it a tight squeeze and smiled. Though it was a tad awkward, Lucia had managed to personally meet the ace of Karasuno. After her unexpected meeting with the third-year, she continued her way down the hall and to her locker. Lucia then grabbed her belongings and headed out of the main building.

Karasuno High School was surprisingly quiet after hours. By the time Lucia had exited the building, many of the students were already well into their afternoon club activities. As she passed the empty classroom windows, Lucia ended up outside of what appeared the be school gymnasium.

Almost immediately Lucia recalled her conversation with Akiyama earlier that day.

'_They're usually in the gymnasium after classes let out._'

Lucia studied the small building before her. She peered from behind the large door and remained completely silent, listening in. It was obvious that the boys' volleyball practice had already begun, and much to Lucia's surprise, there were quite a number of them.

"IDIOT!"

Lucia nearly jumped out of her skin as one of the somewhat familiar players, Tobio Kageyama, scolded his fellow teammate Shoyo Hinata. As the other players attempted to hold their setter back from starting an all out brawl, another boy with a slightly larger build separated the two. Observing his certain vibe, Lucia was immediately able to conclude that he had to be the club captain.

"Enough." demanded Daichi Sawamura coldly. His face was now incredibly stern and almost intimidating, as if he had just completely lost his patience. Kageyama and Hinata froze in their tracks.

"Y-Yes." they both replied in unison.

"Scary…" whispered Lucia softly.

"-Excuse me, can I help you?"

Lucia jumped up once more as a sudden voice came from behind. She spun around to see a boy of average height, staring at her with a curious face. In terms of his physical build he was much leaner than the ace Asahi or even the two first-years; however he still appeared to be muscular. A smile appeared across the boy's face as he awaited a response from a nervous Lucia.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" she exclaimed quite uneasy. She then hesitated for a moment and did the only thing she was taught to do in a situation like this: straighten her back and bow.

The boy before her was none other than third year setter, Koshi Sugawara. He chuckled lightly as he gave a wave of his hand, signaling that the bow was completely unnecessary.

"It isn't a problem, but we normally don't have any visitors for practice."

"_How embarrassing…_" thought Lucia blushing immensely. She then knew she had to come up with a good excuse and fast. As she stood back up straight, she took a deep breath, "I-I'm actually a transfer student. I was lost and somehow ended up at the gym."

The setter arched his eyebrows, then broke out into a forgiving smile, "I hope you find your way back then." He began with nod but was then interrupted by the voice of his fellow two teammates.

"Senpai." waved the younger-looking boy named Tadashi Yamaguchi. He seemed to have a sweet appearance, with freckles decorating his face just like Lucia. The other boy whom accompanied him, however, did not appear as friendly.

"Oi." he added rather plainly. Unlike Yamaguchi, Kei Tsukishima was much, much taller in height. Even taller than Asahi Azumane. He also had short blonde hair and an sour frown painted across his face. Lucia froze as he towered over her.

Tsukishima turned to her with a raised brow, as if finally noticing her presence, and grinned mischievously. "Oh my, are you a stalker?" he asked adjusting his glasses.

"T-Tsuki…" began Yamaguchi warning his friend not to start trouble. Sugawara laughed nervously, "She's just lost, Tsukishima." he explained. "Please don't start."

Tsukishima stared at the girl as if completely unmoved. Yamaguchi eyed him, anticipating what his next action would be as Lucia remained completely still. She fidgeted where she stood, hoping she wouldn't give off the wrong idea.

Tsukishima stepped out from behind the door and entered the gym cooly. "Oi, we have a stalker." he shouted to his teammates.

"Stalker?!" cried Hinata as if almost excited. The boys stopped in their positions and turned to face the door in confusion.

Yamaguchi and Sugawara immediately exchanged looks. As the other boys turned began to whisper amongst themselves, even Kageyama himself couldn't help but turn his head at the sudden announcement. He then clicked his tongue.

Meanwhile, Lucia was still completely frozen. Not only had she been discovered, but she had been publicly humiliated in front of the entire boys' volleyball team.

"Stalker, eh?" repeated one of the club's wing spikers, Ryunosuke Tanaka. He immediately made his infamous "tough guy face" in an attempt to intimidate the possible foe.

Joining him straightaway was Yu Nishinoya "Noya", the libero. He began to crack his knuckles and pouted. By far he was the smallest member on the court, yet his presence was still surprisingly menacing. "Who do they think they are!?" he exclaimed.

Appearing from behind the door, Sugawara scratched his head nervously. "Guys it isn't like that at all." he said reassuringly.

Lucia took a deep breath. Should she reveal herself? Or simply just bolt for Spain? Either way, three members of the boys' volleyball club had already caught a glimpse of her. Swallowing her pride, Lucia gathered up all her courage and took a step forward.

Turning to face the boys, she clenched her fists nervously.

"My n-name is Lucia Gonzales and I am not a stalker!"


	3. Haikyu!: I Am NOT a Stalker!

**Big Bows and Butterflies**

**Chapter Two: "My Name is Lucia Gonzales and I Am NOT a Stalker!"**

* * *

><p>"I-I swear I'm not a stalker!"<p>

The entire gymnasium fell silent as Lucia Gonzales stood before the boys' volleyball team with a nervous look spread across her face. It felt as though she had been in a bad dream for hours and waking up was NOT an option. Just as she was about to collapse from embarrassment, the captain Daichi Sawamura suddenly stepped forward.

"Gonzales was it?" he asked with a rather pleasant tone.

Lucia exhaled. How was it that the most intimidating guy was now the kindest? Being that the tension was finally broken, Lucia was now able to breath. She nodded and politely smiled, "Yes, I transferred two weeks ago from Spain. I'm a second-year student, actually."

Tanaka and Nishinoya's previous stance changed dramatically as they now eyed the transfer student cautiously from behind the "wall" of what was Tobio Kageyama and Hinata Shoyo. In contrast to their normally "outgoing" attitude, the two volleyball club members were now unusually shy.

Lucia paused and looked over to them in confusion. Turning a bright red, she quickly looked off to the side as Sawamura shot his two teammates a look of irritation. Following the orders of their captain, Tanaka and Noya receded back behind Hinata, who continued to watch the scene eagerly in anticipation. Kageyama, however, couldn't help but make a face at the entire thing.

Peeking back over in their direction, Lucia captured the look of the setter Kageyama. She then looked back over to the club captain, "I-I was only here to watch, I swear!" she said apologetically, "A-Actually-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a frantic Susumu Akiyama suddenly appeared from the door, "MOMO-CHAN~!"

The blond ran up to her flustered classmate and clasped her hands tightly. "I was so worried when I didn't see you after class!" she cried. "Why are you even in this smelly gym?"

"A-Akiyama…?" spoke Lucia in a rather confused tone. Akiyama blinked and turned to face the staring eyes of the boys' volleyball club all focused on her. Stepping forward, Tanaka greeted her with narrowed eyes.

"Akiyama." he sneered. Akiyama immediately straightened her back and frowned at the wing spiker's presence. Tension quickly filled the entire gymnasium.

"H-Hey, do they know those two pretty girls…?" whispered Hinata to Kageyama. Kageyama rolled his eyes, "How should I know?" he replied, pressing his lips together in annoyance.

Akiyama raised her eyebrows. "Eh, Tanaka? How's your sister?" she replied with a cynical smile. Acting purely on instinct, Sugawara immediately separated the two. "Calm down you two, please."

Lucia tilted her head, still baffled by the entire situation. Could there be bad blood between the club's wing spiker and her fellow classmate and friend Susumu Akiyama? Regardless, Lucia quickly felt the need to intervene. "Akiyama, please." she said stepping in front of the blond. Meanwhile, as both Suga and Sawamura attempted to contain their enraged teammate, Noya shot the two girls an intense glare.

Lucia swallowed. She had never been looked at in such a harsh way. Akiyama grabbed her by the arm, "Let's go Gonzales." she whispered and hurried off.

As the boys returned to their practice, the two girls exited the gym.

"What was that all about?" questioned Lucia pausing in her steps. Akiyama hesitated then shrugged her shoulders, "My older sister used to have it out for that boy's sister when they both went to Karasuno." she explained.

Lucia widened her eyes. "He seemed really pissed."

"Yeah, I guess."

Lucia looked back at the gym as she and Akiyama walked off toward the gates. The pressing scowl of the libero still remained fresh in her mind as she turned back in the direction of her friend. "That boy back there, uh, the small one-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Akiyama chuckled. "Don't mind him, he's just some delinquent." The nature of the conversation turned serious as Akiyama glanced at Lucia from the corner of her eye. "I would avoid him if I were you." she warned.

Lucia looked down at her feet as she continued to walk down the sidewalk. "_Delinquent?_" she repeated in her head.

After stopping for some snacks at the local convenience store, the two girls eventually arrived on the street in which Lucia lived. By the time they made it there, however, the sun had well already disappeared behind the mountain tops. With a wave and a smile, Akiyama parted ways with Lucia and headed off in the opposite direction.

Though Lucia had shrugged the previous situation off as if nothing had happened, she couldn't help but run the scenario over and over in her head. Was what happened with Akiyama's sister really that serious? Maybe she was just being nosey, but Lucia had to know.

As Lucia approached her house, a shadowed figure suddenly appeared from up ahead. Making it's way directly toward her, Lucia immediately froze in her tracks. Whoever it was they were coming at a very great speed. As she narrowed her eyes to get a better view of the figure, Lucia could see it was the orange-haired boy from this afternoon. Shoyo Hinata.

Lucia waved her hand to get his attention, however judging by his speed and pace, the boy showed no sign of stopping.

"H-HEY!"

Within seconds, the two collided and ended up face down on the sidewalk. Lucia sat up slowly, rubbing her head in pain. "Don't you ever look where your running?" she moaned.

"S-Sorry!" he exclaimed. Hinata shot his head up then suddenly paused. "Hey, you're the girl from before…" he said pointing his finger. "Gonza…Gonzu…"

"Gonzales." corrected Lucia. "My friends calls me Momo." Lucia paused and grinned nervously, "_At least they would if I had any friends…." _she mumbled under her breath.

"Momo-san!" exclaimed Hinata with a nod. His eyes gleamed with excitement.

Lucia smiled. Despite what happened before, she wasn't as nervous as she thought she would be. The boy's presence seemed calming, maybe because he was only a first-year and younger than Lucia herself. She took a deep breath, "Hey." she began leaning forward.

"Y-Yes?" replied Hinata blushing slightly.

"About what happened this afternoon…did your team say anything about it?"

The two slowly stood back on their feet. Hinata rubbed the back of his head and grinned, "Well, I tried asking Tanaka-senpai about it, but he kinda' shrugged it off."

Lucia fixed her gaze on the first-year, "And the other boy?!"

Hinata straightened his back. "O-Other boy?" he repeated slightly off guard.

_Crap._ Lucia stepped back and blushed nervously. Maybe she came off a little too strong. She waved her hand in a nonchalant manner, "I mean, the boy with the bleached hair. He kinda' gave us a bad look when we left."

"Oh! You mean Nishinoya-san." replied Hinata with a nod. "Him and Tanaka are pretty close, so I guess it makes sense he was upset too."

"_So that's why._" thought Lucia to herself.

"Hey Momo-san, so what was the real reason you were outside the volleyball club?" asked Hinata suddenly with a straight-face.

Lucia blinked, "U-Um-"

"Do you like volleyball?!" exclaimed Hinata widening his eyes.

Lucia turned bright red. "Well.." she began, avoiding eye contact with the young boy. Hinata leaned forward, "You do, don't you?!" he said jumping up in excitement. "Did you play?!"

Lucia stiffened up. She opened her mouth, yet nothing but silence came out. She had finally been found out. As she turned back to the Hinata, he continued to stare at her with a starry-eyed look.

"Please don't tell anyone." she begged. "I used to, but now I no longer play."

Hinata tilted his head as if trying to process how one could simply give up the beloved sport. After a moment of hesitation, he flashed a smile. "You must have been really good, being so tall!"

Lucia immediately blushed as Hinata began to run in place. "If you love volleyball so much, you should come by before practice! I'll be happy to toss for you, Momo-san!"

Lucia nodded as the young boy dashed past her. Just before he could disappear from Lucia's sight he gave a loud shout, "I'm Hinata Shoyo by the way!" And just like that, Hinata vanished from her sight.

Lucia smiled as she waved goodbye. Maybe, just maybe, she had made one more friend at Karasuno High.

* * *

><p><strong>The following day.<strong>

"Momo!"

Akiyama slammed her hand on Lucia's desk as she held up a piece of paper. Lucia observed the paper, which of course, happened to be written in all Japanese. In all honesty Lucia's Japanese had improved greatly in the past few weeks, however her reading in the language could still use some work. Amongst all the scribbles, she managed to only decipher one word in particular.

"Festival?" she asked tilting her head.

"Not just any festival!" began Akiyama, "The _sports athletic _festival!"

It was about eight in the morning, and like most students, Lucia found herself having trouble paying attention to her classmate's morning antics. She rubbed her eyes as she let out a yawn. "What's the sports athletic festival?" questioned Lucia.

Akiyama flashed a grin, "Geez, do you know anything? Every year schools all over Japan spend one day dedicated to athletic meets. We play games, run races…anything you can think of!" she explained with much enthusiasm. "We'll also be able to spend the _entire_ day with third-years!"

For some reason, Akiyama had a great obsession with the older boys at Karasuno. Standing up straight, she brushed her long blonde hair off her shoulder and winked. "We need to sign up after school!"

Suddenly, one of Lucia's classmates appeared from behind Akiyama. His name was Junpei Kimura, and Lucia had also known him to be an admirer of Susumu.

"Akiyama-chan," he began nervously, "I was wondering what activity you were going to sign up for?"

Akiyama ran her fingers through her hair and smiled, "Not sure yet." she replied sweetly, "What were you thinking about doing Kimura-kun?"

Lucia rested her head on the palm of her hand as she observed the flirtatious display before her. She had always considered herself "unfeminine", so she never really had the confidence to flirt with boys. Akiyama was far better at talking to boys than she was, so a part of Lucia admired her confidence. As Lucia's eyes wandered away from Akiyama and Junpei and over to the hallway, she noticed a passing Nishinoya Yuu walking outside the classroom.

Lucia straightened up in her desk and widened her eyes. "_That's him._" she thought shooting up from her desk. Without second thought, she then quickly made a break for the door, seizing her opportunity to clear the air with the volleyball club libero.

"Momo-chan?" called Akiyama rather confused.

"I'll be right back!"

Lucia quickly headed out the classroom and into the hallway. By the time she managed to make it down the hall, however, Nishinoya had vanished completely from sight. Lucia placed her hand on her hip and pouted in defeat.

"Gone." she said sighing heavily.

"Who's gone?" came a voice from behind.

Lucia spun around to see Susumu staring at her with an arched eyebrow and crossed arms.

"N-No one!" she said waving her hands nervously.

Akiyama wasn't buying it. She pouted her lips and sighed, "Eh? Is that so? You've been acting weird Momo…" She then paused and clapped her hands together, "Wait! I get it!" she exclaimed.

"Y-You do?" replied Lucia biting her lip.

"You're totally crushing on someone! Aren't you?!"

Lucia turned as bright as a red tomato. "W-What?!" she shouted as Akiyama embraced her in one of her tight-gripping hugs. "I'm so happy for you Momo!" she squealed. Stepping back, she then flashed a grin. "So who is it?!"

Lucia clenched her fists and widened her stance.

"I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH!"

The entire hallway fell silent as nearby students turned their attention to Lucia. Lucia, now a shade lighter, turned her head slowly to see none other than Nishinoya standing amongst the crowd. His eyebrows were raised and hands buried in his pockets. Akiyama burst out into laughter as Lucia froze in her steps. Clapping her hands in amusement, the blond threw her arm around her embarrassed friend's shoulders.

"Mo-chan you're too funny. Lighten up!" Akiyama then turned to face the crowd, "Nothing to see here!" she said shooing the nosey students away.

As the crowd began to disperse, Lucia continued to remain a frozen statue. Nishinoya tilted his head at the bizarre display exhibited by a red-faced transfer student. He stepped forward and frowned, "Oi, Akiyama tell your friend to stop shouting." he demanded rather bluntly.

"_S-So cold_!" thought Lucia with a shudder.

"You're one to talk, Nishinoya." snapped Akiyama back. "Shouldn't you be in detention or something." she said shooing him away.

Nishinoya clenched his teeth in anger, "What was that?!" he said raising his voice.

Shaking out of her "trance", Lucia ran in front of Akiyama and straightened her arms out to her sides. "Akiyama please. That isn't necessary!" she attempted to hold her friend back as an irate Nishinoya stomped forward.

Though Akiyama most likely had about five centimeters of added height against Nishinoya, the volleyball club libero was not tempted to back down. Unfortunately, for Lucia's sake, she happened to be caught right in the middle.

"Say that again!" hollered Noya.

Akiyama twisted her lips as she discreetly pushed Lucia into the angered boy.

"W-WAIT!"

Tumbling backward, Lucia closed her eyes shut as she tripped over the boy's feet and plummeted straight to the ground.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't-"

Just before she could finish her sentence, Lucia opened her eyes to see Nishinoya Yu just inches away from her face. The libero blinked twice and quickly turned red as he gazed at Lucia shyly. Equally embarrassed, Lucia immediately jumped off the boy. "S-Sorry!"

Akiyama frowned as she leaned over to help her friend off the ground. Lucia stood up against Akiyama's weight and brushed the dust off her skirt. The blond then pouted as she eyed Nishinoya, "Make sure he didn't grope you, Momo." she mumbled under her breath.

Nishinoya's face dropped into an irritated scowl. Akiyama then grabbed Lucia by her sleeve and dragged her away from the boy. It was the epitome of an "awkward" situation, however Lucia wished she didn't have to leave it on such uncomfortable terms. Glancing back over her shoulder, Lucia eyed Nishinoya quietly. The libero just sat there, watching as the two girls disappeared from sight.

As Lucia and Akiyama rounded the corner, Noya clicked his tongue and looked off to the side with a pout.


	4. Haikyu!: She Just Wants to Play

**Big Bows and Butterflies**

**Chapter Three: ****"She Just Wants to Play"**

* * *

><p><strong>9 years prior.<strong>

The TV is on some lame morning show. The volume is lowered nearly all the way so you can hardly follow the conversation between both the male and female co-hosts. Sprawled out on the couch is a young girl about the age of seven. She yawns sleepily as her eyes are drawn to the thermostat located above a small coffee table. It reads 92 degrees. Just another hot, summer afternoon in Valencia, Spain.

The small girl lowered her head. Her face was slightly hidden between the strands of her long and wavy dark brown hair. Beads of sweat raced down the side of her cheeks as her body quickly began to feel drained. Only moments pass when her eyelids began to droop. Seconds later, they closed.

Just a bit more time has passed when she is suddenly interrupted by the quick footsteps of a young boy, slightly older in age. Her eyes blink open. Just inches away from her face now stood her older brother Tadeo.

"Are you going to sleep all day?!" he exclaimed.

"Too hot…" moaned the little girl back.

The small boy rolled his eyes as he turned his attention over to the muted television. "Let's watch something better!" He said grabbing hold of the remote and flipping through the channels. As various segments of different shows flashed before them, the boy paused when he suddenly came to a broadcast of a large, packed arena. The small girl widened her eyes and leaned in closer to the TV set.

"_Coming to you live, this is the quarter-finals of the Champions League for Women's volleyball!_" exclaimed the voice of a male announcer, "T_he European Volleyball Confederation!_"

The crowd let out a loud cheer as the players made their way quickly onto the volleyball court. The atmosphere was very intense, with bright lights shining down from above. Just as the players assumed their positions on the court, the television flashed off.

"_Boooring._" yawned the boy tossing the remote onto the couch. The small girl practically jumped out of her seat. "What was that?!" she cried.

"It's just volleyball." replied her brother raising a brow. He took a seat beside his sister on the couch and sighed.

The small girl squirmed across the couch and reached for the remote. Just as the TV flashed back on, a pair of keys rattled from outside the door of the two-bedroom apartment. Before any other movement could be made, the large door swung open and a man appeared in the threshold carrying a newspaper. He stepped inside and eyed the two children on the couch with a raised brow. it was their father.

"Tadeo, the trash needs to go out now." the man demanded immediately.

"Y-Yes papa."

The small boy shot up from his seat and swiftly headed for the garbage can. His sister, meanwhile, solely remained focused on the television before her. As he placed the newspaper on the kitchen counter, the man then turned his attention to his daughter propped in front of the TV.

"Lucia, it's time for your wrestling lesson." he said in a rather stern tone.

No response. The man's daughter was so fixated on the volleyball match that she hardly recognized her father's presence.

"_I want to play._ _I want to play." _She repeated over and over again in her head.

"_I want to play…volleyball."_

* * *

><p><strong>Present Day.<strong>

"So how does it feel?"

Two pairs of shoes were lined up neatly in the entryway. Lucia gave a sigh as she slid on her white tennis shoes and swung her light, wind-breaker jacket over her shoulders. "How does what feel?" she replied sliding her arms through the jacket sleeves.

In a way Lucia resembled her brother Tadeo almost completely, despite the fact he was much taller. You could easily tell the two were siblings just by them standing together. Tadeo had messy, short brown hair and dark brown eyes. His skin was also slightly lighter than Lucia's and he almost always wore a Hawaiian style necklace. Just like Lucia Tadeo had transferred into Karasuno High, however unlike his sister, Tadeo had already managed to make several friends, including some admirers.

"Starting a new school, obviously." he said grinning lazily down at her. "Have you managed to make some friends yet?"

"Just one."

Lucia paused and then thought back to Hinata Shoyo. "Maybe two."

Tadeo scratched his head, "That's all." he paused then shrugged, "Well at least you don't have an army of first-years constantly on your back."

Lucia couldn't help but grin. She tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear and smiled. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke. "They have a volleyball team." she said regaining her more 'serious' attitude.

Tadeo stood quiet as he and Lucia made their way out the front door and down the steps. "You should join Lu." he replied, the wood creaking with every step he took.

"…"

Lucia didn't respond. Of course Tadeo had a way of knowing her exact thoughts before she actually spoke them. She looked off to the side, avoiding the burning stare of her brother. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but he was probably right.

The two continued down the street as Tadeo did everything in his power to lighten the mood and make Lucia laugh. Finally succumbing to her brother's jokes, she let out a small giggle. She couldn't help but admire how carefree her brother's attitude was. It seemed that nothing in the world could ever bring him down.

As the two rounded the corner and entered the school gates, Lucia was greeted by the voice of a perky Susumu Akiyama.

"Morning Momo-chan!"

Tadeo glanced over to his younger sister with a puzzled look."Momo-chan?" he asked rather confused. Lucia cracked a smile and waved. "A nickname." she whispered back to her brother.

Akiyama ran up to Lucia, yet came to a complete halt when she noticed the presence of the handsome third-year. "G-Gonzales?" she mumbled widening her eyes.

"…Yeah?"

Akiyama grabbed her friend by her jacket sleeve and pulled her off to the side. "Who is that total hottie?!" she whispered covering her mouth with her cupped hand, "Don't tell me he's a third year!"

Lucia blinked a few times, then smiled half-heartedly. "That's my brother, Akiyama. Remember I told you-"

"No way, I would remember if you told me you had a smokin' hot brother!"

Lucia made a puzzled face. Akiyama continued to stare at Tadeo in fascination as the two then walked back over to the confused boy. "Tadeo, this is Susumu Akiyama. She's in my class." introduced Lucia motioning over to her friend.

"It's nice to meet you." replied Tadeo with a warm smile, to which Akiyama couldn't help but blush. Before the conversation could have gone any further, Tadeo was greeted with a hand on his shoulder. He glanced to the side to notice it belonged to one of his friends from his homeroom class. He grinned then shifted his attention back over his younger sister, "I'm going up ahead. I'll see you later Lu."

Lucia waved goodbye as Tadeo headed off toward the school building with his classmate. Meanwhile, a captivated Akiyama cupped her cheeks and sighed.

"He's dreamy!~"

Lucia stepped back with her mouth agape. Could her one friend be actually falling for her older brother?! Shaking her head, Lucia placed her hand on Akiyama's shoulder. "A-Akiyama please snap out of it!"

Akiyama glanced sideways and narrowed her eyes. "He will be mine…." she snorted from under her breath. Breaking out into a swift run, Akiyama headed off toward the large, white building. "Coming Mo?!" she shouted back from up ahead.

Lucia furrowed her brow. Letting out a heavy sigh, she chased after her ecstatic friend.

* * *

><p>Lucia was in the middle of her fourth period class when she felt her cell phone vibrate. Sliding her phone out of her bag, she could see it was a message from none other than Akiyama. Examining the message, she narrowed her eyes. It read:<p>

_Meet me by the vending machine outside after class. ~_

Lucia couldn't help but twitch her eyebrow as she stared down at the text message. She immediately knew Akiyama was going to hound her with more questions about Tadeo. Frowning, Lucia let out a heavy sigh.

"Gonzales? Is everything alright?"

The voice of the teacher immediately caused Lucia to snap out of her daydream.

"Y-Yes!" she replied nervously. She then threw her cell phone back in her bag and turned her attention back to the chalkboard. Aside from Akiyama, Lucia also happened to be thinking about the first-year, Hinata Shoyo.

"_I'll be happy to toss for you, Momo-san!"_

The voice of the orange-haired boy echoed over and over in her head. "_Toss._" she thought to herself. As much as she wanted to ignore the boy's offer, she couldn't find it in herself to do so. Lucia rested her head on the palm of her hand and glanced over to the window. A small half-smile found it's way onto her lips.

"_I want to play."_

* * *

><p>After school, Lucia headed straight toward the first gymnasium in hopes of running into the orange-haired first year. She figured it couldn't hurt to merely <em>watch <em>the young boy practice, and if he just so happened to _invite_ her to play, it wouldn't be so bad either. She looked down at her wrist watch. Lucia would have to meet Akiyama at the vending machines in twenty minutes. Breaking out into a fast walk, she quickly rounded the corner.

When she finally arrived at the gym, Lucia peeked her head inside to realize the volleyball court was completely empty. Just to be safe, she glanced around to guarantee she was the only one there. With nothing but the volleyball net secure in the center of the room, Lucia stepped inside cautiously. She placed her school bag and jacket down beside her and surveyed the area in wonder. It smelled just like she remembered it.

"Alright."

Lucia rushed into one of the backrooms and scavenged the space for a stray volleyball. When she finally managed to find one, she rushed back out to the court, however little did she know, _this_ time, she wasn't alone.

Three bottles were placed in a straight row along the back line of the volleyball court. Standing on the opposite side of the net was none other than Hinata Shoyo. He was dressed in a white shirt and black shorts, with black kneepads and white tennis court shoes. Taking a deep breath, he positioned himself for a serve. After several moments he tossed the ball into the air and hit it with a _SMACK_.

Lucia followed the ball with her eyes as it sailed over the net and made contact with one of the three water bottles. She gasped loudly. The first-year immediately looked to the side and noticed Lucia's presence.

"Gonzales-san!" he exclaimed with a wave.

Lucia gripped the ball tightly in her hand and began to shake. Turning bright red, she managed to force a smile. "H-Hinata."

Hinata eyed the volleyball in her hands. "Do you want me to toss to you now, Gonzales-san?!" he asked with beaming bright eyes.

Lucia swallowed and stepped forward. "I didn't hear you come in." she replied slightly off guard . Hinata flashed a smile, "Oh yeah…" He began scratching his head. "I was in the bathroom." he said rather bluntly.

There was a moment of silence as Lucia and Hinata exchanged looks. Lucia took a deep breath as she focused her gaze on Hinata. "Will you toss to me, Hinata?"

The first-year blinked, blushing slightly. As he eyed her up and down, his eyes were drawn to Lucia's skirt. "Y-You're gonna play like that…" he mumbled, pointing at her uniform.

Lucia tilted her head. "I have shorts underneath." she said reassuringly patting her skirt. Hinata stared into space, picturing what might have been. Cupping his nose, his face turned bright red. "A-Alright." he exclaimed lowering his head and turning to face the court. Lucia walked over to the outside line of the volleyball court as she dribbled the ball. Hinata positioned himself up against the net, readying himself for Lucia's toss.

Lucia eyed the orange-haired boy and nodded. She lobbed the ball to him, to which Hinata answered with a solid receive. As the ball soared high into the air, Lucia quickly sprinted toward the net. Hinata stepped back, gazing at Lucia's powerful approach. It wasn't the technique _he_ had been taught, but it was extremely graceful. In his mind he immediately pictured the wings of a bird, or even a butterfly.

As she leaped into the air, Lucia cocked her arm back and smacked the ball with all her might. Hinata gasped. Though the hit was not entirely precise, it hit the floor with great power and ricocheted off the ground. Lucia stuck her landing and straightened her back. Looking over to a dumbfounded Hinata, she scratched the back of her head and let out a nervous laugh. "S-Sorry, it's been a while."

"That was great!" beamed Hinata nearly jumping out of his skin.

Lucia blinked. "T-Thank you…"

As Lucia and Hinata exchanged grins, the front doors suddenly burst open and the boys' volleyball club appeared in sight. Hinata and Lucia quickly spun around. Pausing in their footsteps, the team halted and eyed the two in suspicion.

"Oi, oi, oi!" shouted Tanaka stepping forward, "What's this?!"

"T-Tanaka-san!" exclaimed Hinata turning red.

"We were just practicing!" explained Lucia stepping in front of the orange-haired boy.

"Eh? The stalker?" teased Tsukishima under his breath, to which Lucia straightened up and blushed in embarrassment.

"I didn't know you played volleyball, Gonzales-san." spoke the third-year, Sugawara, with a smile.

"She is pretty tall." added Daichi Sawamura crossing his arms.

"Where's that friend of yours?!" snapped Tanaka glancing back and forth.

Lucia remained still as she eyed the boys' volleyball team carefully. Taking a deep breath, she flashed a sweet smile. "I used to play on my team back home in Spain. Hinata offered to toss for me so I thought I'd stop by." she explained politely. She then turned to face Tanaka, whom continued to stare at her with an "intimidating" look. "And Akiyama isn't with me today. I thought I'd come by myself." Lucia paused and bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry if Akiyama did anything to offend you, Senpai."

The entire gym fell dead quiet. Noya pushed his teammates aside to get a better view of the display as Sawamura, Suga, and Kageyama stared at the young girl with widened eyes. Tanaka remained motionless where he stood. "_S-S-Senpai…_" he thought, blushing immensely.

Lucia remained with her head lowered, clenching her fists in anticipation.

"_C-CUTE!_" thought the rest of the boys in unison.

"P-Please, it's not a big deal." assured Daichi sheepishly. "Plus, you don't have to refer to him as senpai if you're in the same year."

Lucia shut her eyes tight. "S-Sorry!"

Tanaka, on the other hand, was now in a completely different world. Most likely on cloud 9.

Lucia stood straight back up and smiled at the boys once more. "W-Well I guess I'll get going-" she said running for her school bag.

"Hold on!"

Lucia turned to see Noya staring at her with rather serious eyes. Tanaka, however, still remained completely 'love stricken' in the background, possibly because he had never been called 'senpai' by a cute girl before. The libero stepped forward with a devious smirk. "You keep showing up at our practices. If you think you can play, then show us." he said, pointing a finger at her. Everyone turned their face shocked at Noya's sudden challenge. Lucia, meanwhile, froze in her steps. "_S-Show them?_" she thought nervously.

Hinata suddenly thrusted his fists above his head. "Yeah! Show them how good you are, Gonzales-san!"

Kageyama, however, couldn't help but pout. The only thing on his mind was the current desire to start the practice. Suga leaned over to Noya whom remained firm with his hands on his hips. "Hey Nishinoya, why do you want her to serve all of sudden?" whispered the setter curiously.

"Because…" began the libero with a gleam of mischief in his eyes, "she's still in her school uniform…"

Suga's face dropped as Tanaka placed his hand on Noya's shoulder. "Well done." he replied giving a shaky 'thumbs up'. Overhearing the comment of his teammate, Daichi straightened his mouth and eyed the second-year girl. _"U-Uniform..._" he thought to himself.

Lucia walked to the end of the volleyball court and positioned her feet behind the yellow line. Turning to face the net, she took a deep breath and brought the ball to eye level. "_This is it. Don't screw it up._"

With a small toss, Lucia hit the ball with full force, only to send it flying into the net.

"…"

The boys' blinked as silence fell upon each of them. Tsukishima covered his mouth and chuckled. Lucia twitched her eyebrow as she stared blankly in disbelief. Suga, assuming his supportive character, immediately stepped forward, "It's alright Gonzales-san." he said with a nervous smile. "Maybe next time-"

"Please let me try again!" interrupted Lucia suddenly. Determination filled her eyes as she clenched her fists.

Noya creased his brow, remaining fixated on the girl. No longer was his attention focused solely on her school uniform. Kageyama also remained quiet. He grabbed another ball and walked over to Lucia. "Try again." he said handing it to her.

Lucia swallowed and nodded as Kageyama towered over her. Was he seriously just a first year? The setter's glare was very much intimidating so she couldn't help but obey. She grabbed the ball and turned back to face the court. Taking another long, deep breath, Lucia assumed her position once more. A certain fierceness now filled her eyes, much different than before.

Tossing the ball into the air, she gave it another hard smack. This time, the ball glided across the court, over the net, and met the floor with a powerful _THUMP_. Lucia smiled to herself as she looked down at the redness of her palm. "_I-I did it._"

"Strong!" exclaimed Nishinoya and Tanaka from the sidelines. The rest of the team stood still with their mouths agape. Needless to say they were all impressed, even Kageyama to some extent. Daichi crossed his arms and nodded in satisfaction, while Sugawara widened his eyes in shock.

"T-That was out..." he commented lowly.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed the others in disbelief.

"That was awesome!" shouted Hinata running over to Lucia in excitement. The young girl, however, now remained frozen where she stood.

"What's wrong?" asked Hinata tilting his head. "I didn't know you were that strong!"

"N-Nothing but…" she paused and looked over to the first-year. She completely forgot the fact she was still in her school uniform. "Did my skirt fly up?!" She asked shooting Hinata a pressing stare.

Hinata turned bright red. Just before he could answer, however, a voice called out from behind.

"Oi, Lu!~"

Lucia and Hinata turned around to see a boy standing outside the gym doors. As the rest of the volleyball team turned their heads to identify the voice, Lucia narrowed her eyes to get a better view of the boy's face. She widened her eyes. It was her brother, Tadeo.

"Tadeo?" gasped Lucia.

"Tadeo?" repeated Noya and Tanaka unimpressed.

Tadeo grinned as he swung his jacket over his shoulder. "I thought that was you, Lu!" he shouted, "C'mon let's walk home together!"

An immediate feeling of jealousy coursed through both the libero and wing spiker's veins as they stared down the unfamiliar boy.

"A-Alright!" shouted Lucia back with a nod. She grabbed hold of her belongings and headed toward the door. Just before she exited the gym she looked back to the boys volleyball team. "Thank you for letting me play!" she said with a smile and a wave.

"Byeee Gonzales-san!" yelled Hinata as the rest of the team waved back. Lucia nodded then disappeared behind the wall.

Sugawara stroked his chin as if in sudden deep thought. "Could that have been her boyfriend?" he asked aloud. Noya and Tanaka immediately shot him a glare, "B-Boyfriend?!"

"He looked to be a third year, if I was to guess…" added Daichi stepping beside Sugawara as Noya and Tanaka clenched their teeth in rage. The captain then shook his head, "Anyway, let's get started with practice!" he shouted clapping his hands.

"Alright!"

The boys quickly hurried to their normal positions. Nishinoya, however, couldn't help but remain behind. Assuming a more 'serious' demeanor, he shut his eyes tight, recalling him and Lucia's "encounter" in the hall the previous morning. He couldn't help but press his lips together and blush as he remembered Lucia's face being just inches away from his.

"Oi, Noya…" called Tanaka interrupting the libero's daydream.

Nishinoya shook his head. "R-Right." he grinned, running toward the volleyball court.


	5. Haikyu!: Unexpected Feelings Pt 1

**Big Bows and Butterflies**

**Chapter Four: ****"Unexpected Feelings Pt.1"**

* * *

><p>Lucia's alarm clock rang unforgivingly as she took every effort to open her eyes, reach over, and turn if off. She dangled her arm over the side of her bed and shut her eyes closed once more. The bright morning sunlight beamed through the curtains of her small bedroom fit for merely one. It had been just a couple of days since her last encounter with the Karasuno boys volleyball team.<p>

In all honesty, Lucia had chosen to distance herself from the boys' team. She didn't want to subject herself to recall the memories of her own previous team that the Karasuno volleyball club just so happened to bring up.

Gathering all her strength, Lucia sat up from her bed; her brown hair still messy from tossing and turning in her sleep. As she attempted to step out from beneath her bed sheets, her foot became tangled in the bedding and caused her to crash onto her carpet floor.

"You alright Lu?!" came Tadeo's voice from beneath her bedroom door.

"F-Fine!" shouted Lucia in an effort to regain her poise. She rubbed her bottom and gazed over to the calendar that hung above her small wooden desk. It was just another Sunday morning in the Miyagi prefecture, peaceful nonetheless.

"_It feels as though I've been here forever._" thought Lucia with a thoughtful smile. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a volleyball that sat beside her door. "_Maybe I __should consider-"_

Just then, the door swung open and Tadeo appeared before Lucia. He arched his eyebrow at the sight of his sister just lounged about on the floor. "What are you doing?" he asked in a confused tone.

"Just kinda, uh, fell." replied Lucia smiling lazily.

"Well get up." he said throwing her her jacket, "We need to run to the store."

.

.

.

.

.

Stepping outside the front door, Lucia inhaled the crisp, fresh air the morning had to offer her. It was a beautiful day, much better than she had anticipated. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a pair of small headphones and plugged them into her ears. Tadeo locked the door behind her, then shoved the key into his black jeans. He turned to face Lucia, whom was already tuned into her favorite music playlist. Breaking out into a smile, he headed down the sidewalk as she followed close behind. Eventually the two made their way to the local foothill store. Looking up, Lucia examined the sign that hung over the entrance. It read:

_Sakanoshita Store_

"I-It's so small…" commented Lucia removing one of her ear buds.

Tadeo laughed lightly. "It'll have to do." He looked over to Lucia and smiled, "Wait here, okay?" He then stepped inside the compact convenience store, leaving Lucia to stand outside. She placed her headphone back inside her ear and leaned up against the wall of the shop. Closing her eyes, she drifted into the realm of her music.

Music was Lucia's own personal way of leaving behind the pressures of the real world. It calmed her, and without it, she could have very much already went insane. Saying goodbye to her old friends, giving up playing on a volleyball team, moving away from a town she became so accustomed to, these were just a few of the things that constantly ran through Lucia's mind. Music had allowed her to forget these worries, at least for the time being.

The wind swept Lucia's long, brown hair back and whipped it against her face. Suddenly, she was interrupted by the soft sensation of what appeared to be a furry tail. Lucia looked down to see a small black cat with sleek fur wrapped around her leg. She smiled and crouched down beside it.

"_A stray?_" she thought as she stroked the cat's soft hair. After bonding with the animal for several moments, Lucia stood back up, only to be met by a pair of slanted, brown eyes and wild dark hair. It was Karasuno's libero.

Lucia tensed up and took a quick step back as the alarmed, stray cat scurried away. Of course out of all people it had to be him.

"Were you talking to that cat just now?" asked Nishinoya Yuu eyeing her suspiciously.

Lucia immediately turned red from embarrassment. "N-No!" she replied back. She then removed her headphones and tucked them back into her bag. A moment of awkward silence followed as the two second-years exchanged looks.

"N-Noy…Nish…"

Lucia made a face as she tried her best to pronounce the libero's name.

"That's Nishinoya." proclaimed the boy proudly. "Nishinoya Yuu." He swung his jacket over his shoulder and smiled brightly.

Lucia widened her eyes, gazing at the boy's grin. From the moment they met Lucia had mixed feelings about him overall; however now that the two were alone, she found him to be rather…_interesting_.

"Nishinoya." began Lucia for the second time. The boy paused and looked over to her. "You play libero? For the volleyball team, I mean." she asked timidly.

Nishinoya nodded. "Yeah. I know I'm not the tallest guy on the court, but I feel I can do my best playing that position." He hesitated, then looked over to the side shyly. "Y-You…like taller guys, Gonzales-san?" he mumbled blushing slightly.

Lucia raised her eyebrows, "I don't think things like that matter, actually."

Nishinoya immediately glanced over at her in shock.

"I think it's better to be recognized by who you are, rather than how tall you are." She scratched the back of her head nervously, "Um, I mean, don't you think so too, Nishinoya?"

Nishinoya widened his eyes and nodded enthusiastically. Lucia couldn't help but flash a smile. Sure, he was temperamental, even a bit intimidating, but Nishinoya Yuu was also slightly awkward. As the two now stood in _comfortable_ silence, Tadeo reappeared in the store's window. Nishinoya's attention was immediately drawn to the third-year; his expression now turned sour.

"_That guy again…_" he thought angrily. Noya turned his face to the side. "I should be going."

Lucia looked over to Tadeo, then back at Nishinoya. Puzzled, she made a face. "W-Wait." she said grabbing onto the sleeve of his white t-shirt. Noya looked down at her hand and blushed. Lucia also turned a shade of red.

"Lulu?" interrupted Tadeo stepping out from inside the store. Nishinoya pressed his lips together. _"He even calls her a pet name?!_" he thought annoyed.

"T-Tadeo." replied Lucia nervously. Noya clenched his jaw and pulled his arm away from her aggressively. Lucia stepped back slightly off guard.

"N-Nishinoya-"

"Forget it!" snapped the irate libero.

Tadeo dropped the grocery bags on the floor and immediately rushed over to the boy. Separating him from Lucia, he grabbed Noya by his shirt collar and pushed him up against the wall. "Oi, who are you yelling at like that?!" he snapped.

Lucia stared at the two boys with wide eyes. Never in her life had she seen Tadeo in such an upset state.

"Stop it!" she demanded acting on pure instinct.

Noya broke free of Tadeo's grasp. Quickly distancing himself, he then shoved his hands into his pockets and frowned. "Sorry." he mumbled beneath his breath. Picking up his jacket up from the floor, the volleyball player turned his back and headed off down the street.

As the boy disappeared from their sight, Tadeo tucked his hand into his jean pocket and sighed. "Care to explain?"

"You always have to ruin everything!" pouted Lucia waving her arms. Tadeo covered his face, blocking his sister's flailing hands. Lowering her arms, Lucia then gave a long exhale and looked out to the side.

"_Why did his attitude change so suddenly?"_

* * *

><p><strong>The following day.<strong>

"Have you been avoiding me?!"

Lucia looked up from her desk to see the pressing stare of Akiyama burning a hole deep into her soul. _It's true_. Lucia had been avoiding her upbeat classmate, but not intentionally. The day Akiyama had texted her to meet by the vending machines was the day Lucia had gotten caught up with her brother. So in some sort of way, it wasn't truly her fault.

Lucia leaned back in her seat. "Sorry Akiyama-chan, I've just been…preoccupied." She looked off to the side and thought back to the previous morning.

Akiyama pouted. "Preoccupied with what-" She paused, then took a seat in front of Lucia's desk. "Never mind." she said waving her hand. "Have you signed up for the sports festival yet?" she questioned changing the subject. "How about joining a club? You know its been several weeks since you've transferred to Karasuno and you haven't joined a thing!"

Lucia rested her head on her desk and sulked in her seat. "I know…" she replied rather defeated. "I haven't had any time…"

Akiyama twitched her eyebrow in annoyance, "Geez, you're depressing all of a sudden." Tapping her fingers on Lucia's desk, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. "Listen," she began breaking out into a smile, "How about we stay after school today and check out the different clubs? We can sign up for the festival too if you like."

Lucia returned Akiyama's smile and nodded. "Alright!" she exclaimed with a grin. Although she had known Akiyama for several weeks now, the two had barely spent any time together _outside_ of their homeroom class. Maybe hanging out with a girl friend is just what Lucia needed.

As the morning bell rang, the two girls exchanged smiles. Akiyama headed to her seat at the far end of the room as Lucia propped herself up in her chair. Gazing out the window, she held a curious look on her face, "_Akiyama's right. I should focus more on joining on club…" _she thought to herself for a moment then paused. "_And get my mind off volleyball."_

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As the day continued to drag on, Lucia finally managed to make it out of her last period class partly unscathed. As she made her way down the hallway, she felt a vibration go off in her school bag. Lucia reached into her bag and pulled out the bright red cellphone. As expected, it was a message from Akiyama.

_Let's try and meet at the vending machines again. _

Lucia smiled to herself and quickly headed off to her destination. She made her way down the stairs to the first floor, past the now-emptied classrooms, and outside to the small courtyard. As she rounded the corner, she then came to an immediate halt when she noticed the area surrounding the vending machines was already occupied by a tall boy with a rather intimidating aura. His short, cropped hair covered parts of his face as he pressed his hand against the machine's buttons. Lucia swallowed. She immediately recognized him to be the setter from the boys club volleyball team.

As he reached down to retrieve his drink from the small opening, the boy turned to notice Lucia's presence. Lucia straightened up nervously. She stared at the familiar first year as he made a face then turned away.

"Momo?" came Akiyama's voice from behind.

Lucia spun around. "A-Akiyama." she replied slightly off guard.

"Were you just talking to that first year?" asked Akiyama approaching her friend.

Lucia shook her head, "Not in so many words…" She paused then looked off to the side, "Or in any words actually." she replied with a funny face.

Akiyama pouted, "Keep this is mind Momo-chan." She began, adjusting her skirt. "If you want to be cool at this school, talking to the weird first-years won't help you."

"A-Alright…"

Akiyama shook her head an smiled, "You're too funny, Mo." She then turned her back and winked. "Let's go look at some clubs."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Short chapter here ^^;**

**Well its been about several chapters now. Guys, review and let me know what you all think! I appreciate the feedback ^_~**


	6. Haikyu!: Unexpected Feelings Pt 2

**Big Bows and Butterflies**

**Chapter Five: ****"Unexpected Feelings Pt.2"**

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><p>"Science Club?"<p>

"Um, I'm not very good at science…"

"Okay, how about yearbook?"

"Maybe…I mean-"

"We can try _kendo_?"

"_Kendo_?"

Susumu Akiyama raised a brow at her rather indecisive classmate. Both she and Lucia had been roaming the halls in search of a potential after school club to join, however currently, they were having no luck. The clubs were much different than what Lucia was used to back in her hometown of Spain. The young transfer student sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "We'll never agree on a club…" she said sluggishly.

"C'mon Mo…" whined Akiyama stopping in her footsteps. "We need to decide on something!"

After a little more convincing on Akiyama's part, Lucia flashed a smile and nodded. "Alright, alright. Let's keep looking!" she replied assuming her usual 'positive attitude'.

Akiyama returned the smile with a wink as they then both continued down the hall. Eventually, the two girls managed to meander their way to the courtyard outside. Truthfully, however, Akiyama had intentionally done so in order to get a quick glimpse of the boys club soccer team.

"How dreamy!~" sighed Akiyama gazing over at them from behind the chain-linked fence. Lucia, on the other hand, decided to rest her back on the fence and look up at the sky. Leading her stare over to the gymnasium, she blinked twice as she caught a quick glimpse of a passing Nishinoya and a frantic Tanaka. Lucia could only assume they were both late for their club practice.

"Akiyama?" said Lucia immediately turning to face her friend.

"Yeah?"

Akiyama replied but it was obvious she was still lost in her own personal "fantasy world". Attempting to get into her classmate's line of vision, Lucia stuck her hand out in front of Akiyama's face and waved. Akiyama snapped out of her daze and looked over to Lucia. "How about we check out if there are any clubs over there?" asked the brown-haired girl pointing over to the gymnasium.

Akiyama followed Lucia's finger tip to the large building behind her. After a moment of silence, she frowned. "Why there?" she replied unimpressed.

Lucia looked off to the side nervously. She was now in somewhat of an awkward position. Just before she could speak, Akiyama suddenly leaned forward and grinned. "Momo…"

"Y-Yeah?" replied Lucia leaning back.

"You just want to see the boys volleyball team? Don't you?" she continued as she crossed her arms. A moment of silence followed as Akiyama stroked her chin as if suddenly in deep thought. She then shot her head up in realization, "I bet it's that third year…Asahi Azumane!"

"W-WHAT?"

"Let's go then!" Akiyama grabbed Lucia by the wrist and dashed off toward the school gym. Before Lucia could even formulate a proper response, she was led to the outside of the building with the troublesome Akiyama by her side. Hiding behind the outside wall, the two then crouched beneath the small window.

"Are you crazy?!" whispered Lucia finally.

Akiyama lifted her finger to her mouth and signaled Lucia to remain quiet. The girls then slowly faced the wall and peered through the slightly cracked-open window. Almost immediately, Lucia's eyes were drawn to Nishinoya Yuu.

"ROLLING…_THUNDER_!"

The libero sprung forward and hit the ball with his left forearm, sending it directly into the air and toward the setter Kageyama. Lucia widened her eyes as Akiyama pouted. "How annoying…" she commented as she observed the boys' in the midst of their practice. She then turned her attention to the team's ace; the third year Asahi Azumane.

"_Wah_~ He's so cute!" she said dreamily. Her put off attitude had taken a complete 180.

Meanwhile, Lucia was observing the scene quietly to herself. Truthfully, she wasn't at all that interesting in gawking at Asahi. She missed the feeling of being back on the court, and although she had given up volleyball for the time-being, she couldn't shake off this feeling of nostalgia. Akiyama glanced over to Lucia whom appeared to now have a 'starry-eyed' look in her eyes.

"Gonzales, you miss playing volleyball don't you?" she whispered breaking out into a smile. Lucia fell silent and she turned to face Akiyama.

"You know Karasuno has a girls volleyball team, you should choose that as your club!"

Lucia took a deep breath and finally smiled, "I know, but I feel better just watching from the sidelines. For now at least."

A slight hesitation followed as Akiyama furrowed her brow. She couldn't quite understand Lucia's logic. Nonetheless after a moment of consideration, the blond widened her eyes in excitement and leaned toward Lucia, "Momo!" she gasped, "You should totally be a manager!"

"Manager?" repeated Lucia confused.

"That's right! That way you can be on the team, without really _being_ on the team!"

Akiyama then looked back inside the gym and narrowed her eyes. "But…" she paused, "They might already have one." she said eyeing the third-year Kiyoko Shimizu. Lucia followed Akiyama's stare and gazed at the female manager in awe.

"S-She's beautiful…"

Meanwhile, Sugawara leaned over to Daichi as the rest of the team continued with their serve-and-receive drills. Apparently, Lucia and Akiyama's "concealed" presence had managed to draw the attention of the third-year setter. "I think we have some visitors…" he whispered casually pointing to the window at the far end of the gym.

Daichi followed Suga's finger to see the heads of two girls crouched outside the gym. Arching his brow, he smiled, "It's that transfer and her friend again." he replied lightly. He then turned his head to the beautiful girl beside him. "Shimizu-san." he called in a hushed tone.

Shimizu looked up from her book and over at Daichi.

"Maybe you could talk to her." said the captain motioning to the window. Shimizu looked over to her side and blinked. "Okay." she replied softly. As expected, Kiyoko Shimizu was a woman of few words.

Daichi crossed his arms in satisfaction and turned his attention back to the volleyball court. Suga chuckled to himself and then did the same. Back at the window, Akiyama continued to admire Asahi Azumane from afar. Lucia, on the other hand, was completely focused on the boys' practice. Basic serve-and-receive drills were something she had already been well accustomed to. Oh how she wished she could be on the court at that very moment. Lucia then turned to Akiyama, "Do you think we can get in after their practice?"

"Eh, you mean the gym?!" replied Akiyama slightly turned off.

Lucia smiled innocently and nodded. Akiyama immediately made a face of disgust, "I guess…" she said unenthusiastically. A feeling of tension now filled the space between them. Lucia fell silent as she turned away in defeat. For some reason Akiyama's mood always seemed to change whenever she would mention anything having to do with volleyball, unless that is, it involved the male third-year students. Lucia just couldn't seem to understand why.

Tucking her chin in slightly, she quietly eyed the boys jumping and spiking. Akiyama paused and straightened her mouth. In all honesty, she hated the very thought of stepping inside the school gym, let alone playing volleyball. Despite this, the saddened expression of her friend quickly managed to make an impact on her.

Shaking her head, Akiyama smiled."Fine, let's check it out..." she suggested suddenly showing a more upbeat attitude.

Lucia widened her eyes in excitement as she quickly turned back to her friend.

"Really, Akiyama-chan?!"

Akiyama grinned and replied with a nod, to which Lucia couldn't help but smile brightly. The blond then stepped back from the window and stood up straight. "In the meantime, I think I know what club I want to sign up for." she said with a wink.

Turning her back, she flashed another smile.

"Let's go, Momo!"

Lucia took one last look inside the gym and smiled to herself. Maybe becoming a manager for the team _could_ be a possible solution.


	7. Haikyu!: Susumu Akiyama

**Big Bows and Butterflies**

**Chapter Six: ****"Susumu Akiyama"**

* * *

><p>There was once a time long ago when Susumu Akiyama actually enjoyed volleyball. In fact, several years prior she was known to be quite the formidable player in her middle school. Opening her eyes slowly, Susumu Akiyama surveyed the empty gym before her as she stepped beside an eager Lucia. Nothing but silence clouded her mind.<p>

"_One more!"_

Akiyama's thoughts immediately flashed back to three years ago when she was in her final year of junior high.

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**3 Years Prior. **

"ONE MORE!"

Beads of sweat ran down the side of Susumu's cheeks as she positioned herself beside the volleyball net. Her breathing was heavy, and she looked to be almost past the brink of exhaustion. The gym she was currently in happened to be one of her father's "private" facilities. Just one of the perks of being the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur.

"ONE MORE!" called out her sister, Kaede Akiyama, once more.

Susumu looked up slowly and positioned her hands above her head. Carefully, she anticipated her older sister's toss. They had been practicing the same drill for about half an hour now and Susumu could only hope that this next toss would be the last.

Kaede narrowed her eyes and lobbed the ball high in the air, perfect enough to follow through with a good set. Susumu furrowed her brow. Already, she could tell just exactly where and when the ball would land. She ran to the middle of the court, quickly situating herself directly below the ball. Just as it made contact with her palms, Susumu hurled the ball back in the air and toward the outside of the court where her sister stood. Kaede then caught the ball with her hands and eyed her tiresome sister.

Trying to regain her breath, Susumu placed her hands on her knees and hunched over. Her breathing was now much more difficult than before. Kaede, meanwhile, glanced over to the two men that stood behind her. Both of them wore white track suits and disinterested expressions across their faces. Irritated, Kaede frowned and shot another look at her sister.

"AGAIN!"

Susumu's head shot up. "Again?!" she gasped in disbelief.

Kaede pressed her lips together in annoyance; she could overhear the two men exchanging concerned whispers behind her. Squinting her eyes, Kaede yelled out to her sister once more:

"I said do it again-"

"That's enough, Kaede!" came another voice from behind.

Kaede turned around in shock to see her father step out from between the two other men. He had light brown hair and dark brown eyes, and appeared to be much taller than the average man. Clothing-wise, he wore a lightly-colored business suit with a black pinstripe tie. Slowly, he made his way over to the volleyball court and stepped beside his eldest daughter.

Susumu tilted her head up and eyed her father cautiously. She still appeared to be out of breath - with her voice being no louder than a soft whisper. "Dad." she began faintly, "Why is she making me practice so hard? The spring tournament isn't until next month-"

"Susumu!" he interrupted in a stern tone. "You need to start taking your practices more seriously-"

"But I am!" cried the blond.

"That's enough!" scolded her father angrily. He straightened his back and fastened his eyes on his daughter before him. "You'll continue to practice with Kaede until dinner tonight. No excuses." He then turned his back and headed toward the door.

The two other men eyed him nervously, quickly stepping out of his path. Kaede's face remained unfazed as she watched her father exit the small, private gym. She then turned back to her sister, whom appeared still shaken up by the man's overwhelming presence. She softened her expression. "Susumu…I'm-"

"ONE MORE!" snapped Susumu holding back her tears. She blinked softly, her shoulders still high and her hands now balled into tight fists. Kaede widened her eyes as she gazed at her sister in awe. She then nodded and whispered to herself quietly.

"One more_."_

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**Present Day.**

"Aw, they took down the volleyball net…" whined Lucia now standing in the center of the gymnasium with Akiyama. The blond placed her hands on her hips, "I guess we can find a ball somewhere and pass." Her voice was still rather dry. Lucia's face, however, lit up with excitement at her friend's suggestion.

Akiyama froze and leaned back, "H-How can you be so excited?!" she questioned in astonishment. "It's just some dumb sport!"

Lucia simply shook her head, "It isn't just a sport Akiyama-chan." began the brown-haired girl with a genuine smile, "I've loved volleyball ever since I was little. I remember watching it on TV and just falling in love with it. I even gave up wrestling practice just to play on my own everyday."

"_Wrestling practice…?_" thought Akiyama with a puzzled face. She crossed her arms and then pouted. "Well, whatever, let's just find a ball already."

Lucia nodded then ran off to the back room. "There should be one in here." she said calling back to Akiyama whom decided to remain behind. "Just hurry up, Mo!" called the blond back. She looked around the empty gym and couldn't help but grimace. "This place gives me the creeps…" she mumbled to herself.

"Found it!"

Lucia appeared back in Akiyama's sight with a volleyball now in her hands. She ran over to her fellow classmate and smiled, "Maybe I should teach you how to pass before-"

"Forget it." interrupted Akiyama rolling her eyes, "I already know how." she said turning her back then assuming a 'ready position'.

"You do?!"

Lucia stared at Akiyama with wide eyes as she awaited a response. Akiyama twitched in embarrassment, "And why do you keep giving me that 'misty-eyed' look!" she snapped. Lucia receded back and covered her face partly with the ball, to which Akiyama couldn't help but sigh. Changing her tone, she smiled forgivingly, "I kinda' used to…" Her voice declined into a soft whisper as she looked away nervously. There was a moment of silence as Lucia blinked twice in confusion. Akiyama pouted her lips and blushed slightly, "I kinda' used to play." She then stood up straight and frowned, "B-but it isn't a big deal or anything! I hated it anyway!"

"That's so cool!" exclaimed Lucia suddenly.

Akiyama looked over to her friend in complete shock. Lucia leaned forward and grinned brightly, "I bet you were really good Akiyama! You look like a volleyball player to be honest!"

Akiyama blinked, unaware of how to react to Lucia's unexpected outburst.

"What position did you play?!" asked Lucia curiously.

"S-Setter…"

"No way!"

Akiyama returned Lucia's words with a dazed stare. After a short pause between the two, she looked of to the side and lowered her head. "I don't play anymore though. Like I said, I hate it." She hesitated then looked up at Lucia, "But if you want to play so bad I guess I can let it go this once."

"Thank you Akiyama.." replied Lucia with a thoughtful smile. She wanted to question her friend further on the subject, but Lucia assumed it to be none of her business. Shaking her head, she grinned. "I'll toss first!"

Lucia then lobbed the ball in the air gently. Akiyama extended her arms out in front of her body and returned the ball with a firm pass. The ball sailed in the air as Lucia hurried beneath it. "See, you're so good!" she commented with a smirk and bumped the ball back to her friend.

This time, the ball sailed even higher than before. Unintentionally assuming her previous role as setter, Akiyama lifted her hands above her head and carefully - yet still gracefully - set the ball almost flawlessly. Lucia widened her eyes in amazement. Also acting purely on instinct, she assumed her approach for a spike, ran toward the ball and leaped high into the air. It was no doubt a perfectly timed set - not too high, yet not too low - with Lucia still being able to make optimum contact with the ball. As the palm of her hand slapped hard against the rubber, Lucia sent it hurling past Akiyama at full speed. Akiyama widened her eyes - shocked at the amount of sheer force demonstrated by her friend - and immediately ducked out of the way. Lucia, however, couldn't help but crinkle her nose in happiness as she landed back down the ground.

"W-Where did that come from?!" the blond exclaimed aiming her pointer finger at Lucia.

"W-What do you mean?!"

"You almost took my head clean off!"

Lucia laughed nervously, "Sorry, I sometimes get carried away…" She scratched the back of her head sheepishly. Just then, the two girls were greeted by a familiar voice from behind.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Lucia widened her eyes and stared at Tanaka Ryuunosuke, whom now stood at the gym entrance still dressed in his volleyball club attire. Akiyama couldn't help but break out into an instant frown.

"What are you doing here blondie!?" questioned the wing spiker with his hands in his pockets and a "menacing look" across his face.

"Nothing that concerns you." replied Akiyama coldly. She then stuck her tongue out and lifted her middle finger in the air.

"Why you!-"

Tanaka clenched his teeth in anger as he stepped forward. Lucia quickly intervened, positioning herself between the enraged boy and her friend. "Tanaka-san she didn't mean it." she reassured. Tanaka blinked and dropped his shoulders as he eyed the more soft-spoken Lucia. She gazed at him with a sincere look, to which Tanaka couldn't help but stare. A short pause soon followed as Tanaka leaped in the air toward Lucia.

"G-Gonzales-san!~" he cried as rivers of tears rained down from his eyes. "You're still kind as ever!" Before he could approach her any closer, however, his stomach was met with the backside of Akiyama's leg.

"BACK OFF!" she hollered, completing a nearly perfect roundhouse kick.

Lucia blinked. Overall it was quite the comedic scene, with Akiyama being able to send Tanaka flying several feet away. Tanaka quickly sprung back on his feet and clenched his fists, "You bitch…" he muttered exposing his gritted teeth. Akiyama lifted her chin and smirked.

"G-Guys please…" begged Lucia letting out a sigh. As she eyed the two hopelessly, another figure appeared at the door. This time, it seemed to be one of the school faculty members.

"Hey, you kids aren't supposed to be in here." he said sternly.

"O-Okay!" replied Lucia. Thankfully, she was able to rely on her strength and separate the then grabbed hold of both Akiyama and Tanaka and dragged them past the unfamiliar teacher and out of the gym.

As the three second-years fled the school grounds, Akiyama finally managed to escape Lucia's grip. "Hey what do you think you're doing?!" she snapped, "Don't lug me around with the monk!"

"M-Monk?!" repeated Tanaka angrily.

"Yeah that stupid haircut of yours makes you look like one!"

"W-What?-"

"ENOUGH!" interrupted Lucia finally loosing her patience. The two immediately froze and turned their attention over to her. Lucia pressed her lips together for a moment then shook her head. Turning over to Tanaka, she smiled. "Tanaka-san, would you like to walk home with us?"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Akiyama jumping up in protest.

Lucia frowned and turned over to Susumu. "Listen, I understand it isn't my place, but all I know is this battle doesn't involve either of you. It involves your sisters."

"_B-Battle?_" thought both Akiyama and Tanaka in confusion. In their minds, they immediately pictured something similar to the Shimabara Rebellion in the late Edo period.

"Nonetheless," continued Lucia with a nod, "I think you two should establish some sort of peace." She pouted her lips in an attempt to look serious, however - it didn't seem to work at all.

"G-Gonzales-san…" whined Tanaka admiring her determination.

"Whatever." added Akiyama clicking her tongue. She looked off to the side and crossed her arms. Lucia smiled at her friend and nodded. The three then headed on their way, with of course, Lucia in the middle to break up any additional arguments.

* * *

><p>"Oi, Gonzales-san." asked Tanaka suddenly as the three made their way slowly down the hill.<p>

"Yeah?"

A shiver ran up Tanaka's spine as Lucia gazed over at him from the corner of her eye. "Did you used to play volleyball, by any chance?" he questioned nervously. "Hinata mentioned it before to us."

Lucia froze in embarrassment. "H-He did?!" She hesitated for a moment as Tanaka eyed her with a raised a deep breath, she nodded slowly. "I did." she admitted finally. A smile escaped from her lips as Lucia clutched the pile of books in her hands. There was no use in hiding it anymore, she felt it was best to just remain honest. "I used to play middle blocker."

"M-Middle blocker?!" repeated Tanaka in shock, "No way!"

"She's a better player than you, that's for sure." smirked Akiyama, glaring at the second-year boy from behind Lucia.

"Say that again!"

"You know, Akiyama-chan used to play to." added Lucia with a smile. Akiyama immediately shot her friend a look. "She was really good too! She was a setter!"

Tanaka paused in his steps and pointed at the blond-haired girl. "Y-Y-YOU?!" he roared in disbelief.

"Is that so hard to believe?!" snapped Akiyama rolling up her sleeves.

Lucia slouched over and stared blankly ahead as the two continued to exchange insults beside her. Eventually, they managed to make it past the foothill store and over to the point where Akiyama and Lucia normally parted ways. By that time, however, the sun had already managed to disappear well behind the mountain tops, with the dark sky now filling the space above them.

"I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then." said Lucia with a smile.

"What! You're leaving already?!" whined Tanaka leaning over to her. "Will you be okay, Gonzales-san?"

"My house is right over there, I'm sure I'll be fine." Lucia then looked over to Akiyama, "Will you be okay, Akiyama-chan?"

"Of course!" she reassured with a wink, "You know my house is right around the corner."

Lucia nodded and turned in the direction of her house. "Alright!" She then waved goodbye and headed off, leaving the remaining Tanaka and Akiyama alone on the sidewalk..

"Idiot, why did you lie to her?" commented the wing spiker lowly. "You know damn well your house is much farther than '_right around the corner_'."

"Mind your business, baldie."

"What did you say?!" snapped Tanaka back.

Akiyama ignored the boy and turned around. "The only reason I allowed you to walk with us is because Gonzales is my friend. Apparently it means a lot to her if we don't fight. However-" She paused and glanced over at him from the corner of her eye. "I didn't think you still remembered where _I_ lived." she teased.

"I-It doesn't mean anything!" shouted Tanaka now slightly embarrassed. He pointed his finger at her and clenched his teeth, "And I wanted to walk with Gonzales-san, not you witch!"

"Whatever, I'm leaving." Akiyama swung her bag over her shoulder and began to walk off. As she headed in the opposite direction, she looked over her shoulder to notice a reluctant Tanaka still following some distance behind. Twitching in annoyance, she spun around.

"Why are you following me you creep!"

Tanaka pursed his lips together and raised his fist, "Idiot, you know I live this way too!"

"That's a lie." smirked Akiyama crossing her arms.

"As if!" shouted Tanaka. Sounding a bit more nervous, he looked over to the side and pouted. "How would I look if I let you walk home alone this late. Dummy."

"_What…"_ thought Akiyama widening her eyes. She then shook her head and grinned. "Eh?" she chimed. She leaned in a bit closer and cupped her ear. "I didn't catch that, say again?" Her tone was playful, as if now mocking Tanaka completely.

"You heard me!"

Akiyama parted her lips slightly and eyed the uneasy Tanaka before. She arched her brow as she turned her back. "Don't be stupid, you don't live anywhere near me."

"Leave it."

Tanaka's mood changed almost completely as he walked past Akiyama with his hands buried in his pockets. "Don't think too much of it, I'll feel bad if you get kidnapped or eaten by bears, or somethin'."

Akiyama froze as she stared at him with widened eyes. Blushing slightly, she then looked away with a pout. Taking a step forward, she followed the wing-spiker's lead.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself, jackass!"

"Don't ruin it!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well we finally have a Tanaka X Akiyama pairing moment ****/**** *squeals***

**I hope you guys enjoyed this ****chapter! Let me know what you guys think! Leave tons of feedback and suggestions! I read them all! (x**

**Till next time ~**

**-Nic**


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